Just to provide a quick update, as the Wild has made some moves that will affect the Aeros (though I make no claims as to the degree of effect).
As you might have heard, the Wild traded Craig Weller, a (college) prospect, and pick for Boston's Chuck Kobasew. This gets the Wild some help up front and drops Weller's $600k+ salary from the Aeros budget.
The Aeros don't get anything in return, but frankly, I don't feel like they lost a lot either. Weller was sent directly to Providence to play for the Bruins AHL team.
However, part of adding Kobasew is that they had to clear a roster spot for him, so they waived Jaime Sifers and he cleared waivers today. They can send him down to Houston any time now, and as you could see on Saturday night, another proven guy on defense for the Aeros wouldn't hurt matters one bit. (UPDATE: The team has sent Sifers down to Houston, per Russo.)
Also, to add to Andrew's post below about the Wolves, they fired their coaches yesterday, too. After not making the playoffs and starting the season with a string of losses, the organization felt like a fresh perspective behind the bench was warranted. Nobody's been hired yet.
Showing posts with label Craig Weller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Craig Weller. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Minnesota Wild Injury Update
Just a follow-up to my post below. Michael Russo has tweeted that Clutterbuck's injury is to his ankle, and that it appears to be serious. Sykora suffered an injury to his groin. Andrew and I were kind of tossing this around after the game, and my first inclination was that Craig Weller and Andy Hilbert would be the two guys called up to the Wild. My thinking with Hilbert is based on my opinion that he would not have agreed to the two-way contract if he did not get some kind of assurance that he was going to be one of the first guys recalled to the Wild.
Andrew was thinking Weller and Colton Gillies, though my thinking is that Gillies is still unable to play because of the broken nose. And Heather read somewhere while we were talking that Danny Irmen could be in the mix.
Who knows? I haven't really gotten a handle on all of the new players yet, nor have I gotten a handle on the team. I've only seen three of the four games, and one of those games I watched on the internet. Also, I'm not really sure of what Todd Richards is looking for with the Wild.
Andrew was thinking Weller and Colton Gillies, though my thinking is that Gillies is still unable to play because of the broken nose. And Heather read somewhere while we were talking that Danny Irmen could be in the mix.
Who knows? I haven't really gotten a handle on all of the new players yet, nor have I gotten a handle on the team. I've only seen three of the four games, and one of those games I watched on the internet. Also, I'm not really sure of what Todd Richards is looking for with the Wild.
Friday, October 2, 2009
10/2 - Aeros v. Moose
Manitoba looked like Manitoba and the Aeros looked like the Aeros tonight as the teams came together north of the border to kick off the 2009-10 season.
The final was 4-3, and while the Aeros jittery play did smooth out later in the game, in reality, it was not as close as the score might indicate. Aeros seemed to put nearly every shot right into the chest of Cory Schneider, and when you're dealing with the AHL Goalie of the Year, you just can't do that.
Frankly, the scoring attempts were more reminiscent of the season before last, though I think once the new guys who have been up with the Wild throughout Aeros camp have a chance to practice with the squad that's been here, you'll see the play smooth out an awful lot.
The talent is there, for sure. Colton Gillies earned the first Aeros goal of the season when he put a pretty power play rebound past a scrambling Schneider, and then had the only assist on Andy Hilbert's goal. Then Hilbert got an assist on Noreau's buzzer beater that Earl apparently deflected in. And Craig Weller also assisted on Gillies goal. That's 5 points for the once-and-future NHLers on the squad, so as long as they're here, they should be a real boon.
Of course, one of the craziest things about hockey is when a beloved player moves to another team and then plays his old team. And for Marco Rosa, who is now a Moose, it couldn't have turned out better. He got the first goal of the night, nay the first goal of the SEASON, for the Moose and the #1 star. Bada-bing! Nice seeing you, Rosie!
Oh, and how about that final goal from the Moose? If you didn't see it... the guy shot from the high slot or thereabouts. Basically a hard dump-in. It went over Dubie's head, bounced off the glass onto the top of the net, and then rolled off the top of the net and into the goal.
It was one of those moments as a goalie where you just think, "I should have been a right wing." Poor guy.
He did have an amazing save early in the game where the Moose had him down on his blocker side and passed to his glove side, shot it just inside the post, and he dove over and got a glove on it.
And of course, I can't wrap this up without mentioning the 88 minutes of penalties in the second period. Not a typo. 88. What the what?
Well, first, Kassian and Desbiens went at it and Kass just pounded him. He's really such a gentleman fighter though. Clearly Desbiens was hurting and Kass kept his grip on his sweater but gave him a few seconds to find which way was up before pounding on him some more. All class--you know, for guys who are punching each other in the face.
Then Stoner laid a nice hit and Ramsey took offense and jumped him (and got instigating and game misconduct penalties on top of the fighting major), but Stoner handily beat the snot out of Rammer. Stoner had some huge open ice hits tonight, too. Heads on a swivel when that guy's around. Holy cow.
Lastly, somehow Noreau and Smith both got into fights and the whole kerfuffle had about as much of a line brawl feel as you're gonna get with the modern rules around fighting. Smith got a slew of minutes for tha,t as his was a secondary fight.
That's it! Here's the game sheet if you want to see all the extracurricular shenanigans that went on.
Same bat time, same bat channel tomorrow night.
Who starts in goal? Dimples or Dubie? I wouldn't say Dubie is the hot goalie right now by any stretch. If I'm KC, I see what Dimples can do.
The final was 4-3, and while the Aeros jittery play did smooth out later in the game, in reality, it was not as close as the score might indicate. Aeros seemed to put nearly every shot right into the chest of Cory Schneider, and when you're dealing with the AHL Goalie of the Year, you just can't do that.
Frankly, the scoring attempts were more reminiscent of the season before last, though I think once the new guys who have been up with the Wild throughout Aeros camp have a chance to practice with the squad that's been here, you'll see the play smooth out an awful lot.
The talent is there, for sure. Colton Gillies earned the first Aeros goal of the season when he put a pretty power play rebound past a scrambling Schneider, and then had the only assist on Andy Hilbert's goal. Then Hilbert got an assist on Noreau's buzzer beater that Earl apparently deflected in. And Craig Weller also assisted on Gillies goal. That's 5 points for the once-and-future NHLers on the squad, so as long as they're here, they should be a real boon.
Of course, one of the craziest things about hockey is when a beloved player moves to another team and then plays his old team. And for Marco Rosa, who is now a Moose, it couldn't have turned out better. He got the first goal of the night, nay the first goal of the SEASON, for the Moose and the #1 star. Bada-bing! Nice seeing you, Rosie!
Oh, and how about that final goal from the Moose? If you didn't see it... the guy shot from the high slot or thereabouts. Basically a hard dump-in. It went over Dubie's head, bounced off the glass onto the top of the net, and then rolled off the top of the net and into the goal.
It was one of those moments as a goalie where you just think, "I should have been a right wing." Poor guy.
He did have an amazing save early in the game where the Moose had him down on his blocker side and passed to his glove side, shot it just inside the post, and he dove over and got a glove on it.
And of course, I can't wrap this up without mentioning the 88 minutes of penalties in the second period. Not a typo. 88. What the what?
Well, first, Kassian and Desbiens went at it and Kass just pounded him. He's really such a gentleman fighter though. Clearly Desbiens was hurting and Kass kept his grip on his sweater but gave him a few seconds to find which way was up before pounding on him some more. All class--you know, for guys who are punching each other in the face.
Then Stoner laid a nice hit and Ramsey took offense and jumped him (and got instigating and game misconduct penalties on top of the fighting major), but Stoner handily beat the snot out of Rammer. Stoner had some huge open ice hits tonight, too. Heads on a swivel when that guy's around. Holy cow.
Lastly, somehow Noreau and Smith both got into fights and the whole kerfuffle had about as much of a line brawl feel as you're gonna get with the modern rules around fighting. Smith got a slew of minutes for tha,t as his was a secondary fight.
That's it! Here's the game sheet if you want to see all the extracurricular shenanigans that went on.
Same bat time, same bat channel tomorrow night.
Who starts in goal? Dimples or Dubie? I wouldn't say Dubie is the hot goalie right now by any stretch. If I'm KC, I see what Dimples can do.
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